Mechanism for handling tuft-yarns for carpet-looms.



E. F. HATHAWAY & C. LEA.

MECHANISM FOR HANDLING TUFT YARNS FOR CARPET LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2 1910.

PatentedSept. 14C, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEE1 I.

' E. F. HATHAWAY & C. LEA. MECHANISM FOR HANDLING TUFT YARNS FOR CARPET LOONIS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. l2. I910.

Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEU 2.

EDGAR F. HATHAWAY, 0F DORCHESTER, AND CHARLES LEA, 0F BOSTON,.MASSACHU- SETTS, ASSIGNORS T0 AMERICAN WARP-DRAWING MACHINE COMPANY, A COR PORATION OF MAINE.

MECHANISM FOR I-IANDLING TUFT-YARNS' FOR CARPET-LOOMS.

Application filed February 12, 1910.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that we, Enonn F. Ilvrrmway and CImnLns Lna, both citizens of the United States, and residing, respectively, at Dorchester and Boston, both in the county of Suffolk and State of i\Iassachuset-t s, have invented an Improvement in Mechanism for Handling T rift-Yarns for car 'iet-Looms, (Case 13,) of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecificatiomlike numerals on the drawings representing l ke parts.-

This invention relates to improvements 1n machines for placing the tuft yarns, customarily used in the weaving of Axminster or similar carpets or rugs, through the tubes of a tube frame of the type ordinarily employed with carpet looms of this class. Our

invention is herein shown as embodied in a machine wherein the tuft yarns are engaged in succession and drawn each through its appropriate tube of the tube frame.

Our invention will be best understood by reference to the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying illustration of one specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out on theappended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a threading machine embodying one form of our invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a transfer comb or holder which may be employed therewith: Fig. 3 is an end view of the spool with a holder applied thereto; Fig. l is a detail in sectional elevation showing the detent for thc clutch lever and looking in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1; Figs. (3, 7 and S are views in perspective showing different 'positionsof the needle; and Fig. 9 is a detail in sectional elevation showing the needle slide.

Referring to the drawings and to the particular embodiment of our invention there shown, we have there illustrated a machine wherein the spool which carries the tuft yarns wound thereon may be clamped and held in such relation to the tubes of a tube frame that threading mechanism, herein consisting of a single reciprocatory threadplacing needle, can engage the successive tuft yarns thus held and place them each through its corresponding tube. \Vhile the I Specification of Letters Patent. Patented S t. 14 1915 Serial No. 543,420.

body of yarns might be held fixed and the needle traversed, herein the needle is mounted at a fixed position lengthwise the machine and the body of yarns together with the tube frame is caused to travel past the path of the needle so that the latter at each reciprocation is caused to draw a strand or group of strands through a tube of the tube frame.

Referring to the drawings, we have there shown in Fig. 3 a spool 1 adapted to carry the tuft yarns. The yarns are customarily wound thereon in a prearranged pattern on a spooling machine and, before withdrawal from such machine and severance therefrom, the ends of the wound-on yarns are separated by having applied thereto a transverse comb or holder 2 (Fig. 2). The latter may be formed of sheet metal and presents a series of projecting teeth 8 which are preferably spaced approximately according to the spacing of the tubes in the tube frame. The comb is applied in such manner that the yarn strands or groups ofstrands will enter between its teeth, after which there is applied thereto a cap piece or retainer 4 consisting of a U-shaped metal strip adapted to slip over the points of the teeth and close the mouths of the slits against the exit of the yarn strands. The cap piece is preferably so proportioned that the slits are deeper than the sides of the cap so that free longitudinal draft of the threads between the teeth is not prevented. The cap is retained in place, after application at each end to the comb, by means of the spring finger 5 which snaps into a seat formed in the end of the cap piece. The finger is sutiicient-ly resilient to be readily pressed back for the with drawal of the cap when desired. The comb is provided at each end with a spring 6 or other suitable attachment member having an eye 7 adapted to he slipped over the small pintle S at the end of the spool 1 so that the comb lies lengthwise against the wound-on yarns acting not only to separate the severed ends which pass through the comb, but

indefinitely until required for the looms.-

lVhen it is desired to draw the yarns through the tube of the frame, the clamp is freed from the spool and placed in the clamp holder 9 (Figs. 1, 7, 8,9 and 10) of the threading machine. The clamp holder comprises a substantially horizontal plate having a grooved edge adapted to receive and retain the clamp, the ends of the yarns hanging loosely over the exposed edge of the clamp as shown in Fig. 7. The spool in turn is supported by suitable carrying devices 10, depending from the ends of the traveling carriage which latter is designated generally by 11. The spool is held fixed upon the traveling carriage by a presser lever 12 at each end, the end of the lever being drawn down by the spring 13 against the edge of the spool rim. The carriage 11 is mounted to slide along the horizontal track bars 14 and 15, which latter are supported by hangers l6 and 17 depending from the end of the machine frame. Prior to the installation of the yarns in the machine carriage, the tube frame 18 is clamped on the carriage as represented in Figs. 7 and 8, the ends of the tubeframe resting against the posts 11 on the carriage and the individual tubes being brought into asubstantially horizontal position and into the desired alinement by engagement with the fluted lower edge of the guide bar 19. The latter is so shaped as to conform to the upper contour of the tubes and when the latter are inserted they are brought into a predetermined position by the guide bar and the posts, such that, at each successive traversing movement of the carriage, a tube is brought into direct alinement with the needle. Preferably the transfer comb is also fixed in the plate 9by contact with a positioning pin 9 or other means, in such a position that the end strand or strands are in line with the end of the tube frame. With the tube frame and the spool installed as described, the carriage is given a traveling movement lengthwise the track bars 14 and 15 by any suitable means. Herein such movement is effected by means of a ratchet and pawl which moves the carriage lengthwise between each stroke of the needle by an increment equal to the spacing of the tube.

Referring to the drawings, the upper edge of the guide plate 19 is toothed to form a ratchet 20, and the latter is engaged by a suitable feeding pawl 21 carried by the pawl lever 22, the latter pivoted at the end of the actuating arm 23. To reciprocatively move the actuating arm and thereby move the carriage, the arm at its rear end carries a cam roll 24 adapted'to engage the face cam 25 on the main driving shaft 26. At each turn of the drivin shaft, which also reciprocates the needle, the actuating arm is swung about is pivot 27, the spring 28 acting to return it to its normal position. The movement of the arm and pawl is sufficient to advance the ratchet and the carriage at each reciprocation of the needle by an amount equal to the spacing between successive tubes. The spring 28 is fastenedto a fixed statlonary arm 29 projecting from the pivot post 27. Suitable means are preferably provided for accurately adjusting the feeding movement of the pawl and therefore the traversing movement of the carriage. At its rear end the actuating arm is split as at 32 and athreaded adjusting pin 33 is interposed between the two split ends whereby the position of the cam roll 24 relatively to the lever can be adjusted laterally to increase or diminish the throw of the arm. There is also with an adjusting stud 35 carried by the arm so that the limit of the backward movement of the arm can also be regulated.

Power may be transmitted to the main driving shaft 26 by any suitable means, as

The yoke 38 suitable foot treadle not shown. If, during the operation of the machine it is desired to throw off the power, the pivoted catch 41, is provided whereby the clutch may be held open while the shaft 26 is turned through the hand wheel 42 fastened at the end thereof;

The driving shaft is suitably journaled upon the main frame 43 of the machine, one end of which supports a suitable guidewa whereon the reciprocatory needle slide 44 works. The latter is projected forward and backward, once for each complete turn of the driving shaft, by means of the connecting rod 45 jointed to the arch piece46,the

.latter fastened to the needle slide 44. The

connecting rod 45 is jointed to the end of an upright lever arm 47, the latter pivoted at 48 near the base 49 of the machine. The lever arm in turn is reciprocated by means of the connecting rod 50 fastened to the eccentric plate .51 upon the end of the driving shaft.

In order to permit the needle to yield in case it meets with some obstruction owing to displacement of the tube frame or other like cause, the needle is not rigidly fastened to the needle slide, but is secured (Fig. 11) to a holder 52, which has a yielding connection to the slide. This is the holder and the other to the slide and the depending pin 54 carried by the holder. \Vhen the slide is projected forwardly the spring allows the needle to yield if it meets with anyobstruction, and the slide to ad- 130 provided the fixed stop 3480 engaging a 90 provided by means of the spring 53 fastened one end to Vance without the holder. On the rearward movement, however, the slide strikes against the pin and positively retracts the holder. To the needle holder there is also secured a finger which (Fig. 1) carries a pin 56 designed to work within a cam slot 57 on the pivoted stripper arm 58 so that the latter is moved reciprocatively about its fixed pivot 59 and caused to strip from the needle the yarns drawn thereby through the tube. The stripper arm carries at its end a curved finger 60 which is so moved by the pin 56 working in the cam slot that it passes across the point of the needle after the latter has been retracted, thereby acting to strip the drawn-in yarns therefrom. The

movement of stripper will be clear from the Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive.

In the described form of machine the yarn strands are held in a previously separated condition by means of the transfer comb 2. In this condition it is easy to cause a positive engagement between the foremost yarn strand and the needle by very simple mechanism. Herein this is accomplished by moving the foremost yarn strand through a movement of the body of strands as a whole, so that\such strand is laid across the bight of the needle and positively engaged by the latter on its retraction.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive, the needle 61 is rigidly fastened to the holder 52 so that its hook is carried in a vertical plane. When projected forward the needle passes through a tube and then between the two foremost strands or groups of strands as will be evident in Fig. 6. As soon as the needle reaches the position shown in Fig. 6, the forward .strand is drawn across the shank of the needle as represented in Fig. 7 so that on its retraction the needle hook must necessarily seize the strand and draw it free from the clamp and through the tube. This movement of the strand is herein accomplished by shifting the entire clamp holder 9, and the body of yarn carried thereby, from the position shown in Fig. 6 to that shown in Fig. 7. As shown in the latter figure this positions the foremost or selected strand or strands to be tubed toward and against the needle so that they may be positively engaged by the latter, while at the same time it further withdraws the remaining strand or strands of the body of yarns as they are held separated in the holder comb away from the vicinity of the needle. This insures the needle taking the strands to be tubed, but no more. For this purpose the clamp holder is mounted upon the carriage so that it is capable of a slight endwise movement. This movement is limited by the provision of one or more slots 62 formed in the upright guide plate 19, each of which engages a stud 63 secured to the inner edge of the clamp holder. The latter therefore is permitted to move endwise the carriage and relatively to the guide plate by an amount represented by the play of the studin the slot. Normally the clamp holder isdrawn to the left as shown in Fig. 6 by a spring 64 (see Fig. l) secured one end to the guide plate and the other to the clamp holder. To shift the clamp holder to the right at the required time, the upper face of the holder is provided with a rack 65 with which there engages a pawl 66 carried by the lever 67, the latter pivoted at the end of the clamp shifting arm 68. The clamp shifting arm 68 is pivoted upon the frame and at its rear end carries a cam roll 69 engaging the face cam 70 so that, when the needle is substantially at the end of its forward stroke, the arm is moved about its pivot causing the pawl to engage the rack and shift the clamp holder back into the position shown in Fig. 7. This lays the foremost yarn strand across the needle shank and into the bight of the hook, as described and as represented in Fig. 7. As the roll moves in against the cam, the clamp shifting arm is moved back by a spring 71. At or about this time the pawii is moved forward to feed the carriage as a whole and simultaneously the clamp shifting pawl 66 is disengaged from the rack. To accomplish this the pawl is caused to ride up the inclined plane 72 (see Fig. 8) which lifts it free from engagement with the teeth, so that the forward feed of the carriage under the influence of the feeding pawl 21 1s unimpeded. On the following stroke of the needle and the reverse movement of the shifting pawl, it rides down the inclined .plane into engagement with the rack 65. It

will therefore be seen that, in addition to a relative traverse provided between the needle on the one hand and the body of the yarn strands, the tube frame and spool on the other, there is also provided a di'fi'erential shifting of the yarn strands relative to 'the needle, so that a positive engagement is insured between the needle and the strand to be drawn prior to the retraction of the needle. To insure the appropriate alinement of the needle with the individual tubes of the tube frame there is not only provided a slotted needle guide 73 fixed upon the frame of the machine in the path of the needle, but, between the needle and the tubes of the tube frame, there are provided a series of guiding devices 74 appropriately spaced and positioned so that they provide guiding passages with flared or beveled mouths, one for each tube, to receive and guide each needle into its corresponding tube. These spaced guiding devices are supported upon an underlying and horizontal guide plate 75 fixedly positioned with reference to the upright guide plate 19, so that the mouths of the tubes when installed must necessarily :& v v 1,163,867,

come up each opposite to one of said guiding passages.

While we have herein shown and described, for purposes of illustration, one

specific form of the invention, it' is to be understood that the specific embodiment herein shown is submitted for illustrative purposes only and that extensive deviations may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims:

1. In a machine for threadingtuft yarns for carpet manufacture, the combination with tube holding means, means for holding the body of yarns in separated condition, and in predetermined relation to the corresponding tubes, thread placing means for acting successively upon the yarn strands to place them through the tubes of the tube frame and means for shifting said, yarn holding means at each successive action of the thread placing means to insure positive engagement of the yarn strands by the thread placing means.

2. In a machine for threading tuft yarns for carpet manufacture, the combination with tube holding means of means for holding the yarn strands in separated condition and in predetermined relation to the corresponding tubes; a reciprocatory thread placmg device; means for causing relative traverse between the said device and the said tubes to bring said thread placing device in alinement with successive tubes; means for imparting a thread taking movement to the said device; and means for shifting said yarn strand holding means with relation to the thread' placing device during each thread taking movement of the latter.

' 3. In a machine for threading tuft yarns for carpet manufacture, .the combination with tube holding means of means for holding the yarn strands in separated condition and in predetermined relation to the corresponding tubes; a reciprocatory thread placing device; means for causing relative traverse between the said device and the said tubes to bring said thread placing device in alinement with successive tubes; means for impartinga thread taking movement to the said device; and means for moving the body of yarn strands relatively to the thread placing device during each thread taking movement of the latter.

4. In a machine for threading tuft yarns for carpet manufacture, the combination with tube holding means of means for'holding the body of yarn strands in separated condition and in predetermined relation to the corresponding tubes; a spool holder; a thread placing device; feeding means for causing-a step-by-step movement between the thread placing device on the one hand and the tube frame, yarn holding means and spool on the other hand; means for reciprotermined relation to the tubes of a tube frame; engaging each strand or group of strands in succession by a tubing implement; repeatedly shifting the entire body of strands to cause positive engagement of the selected strand by the implement; placing the selected strand in the tube and repeating the operation with'successive tubes and successive strands.

6. In a machine for threading tuft yarns for carpet manufacture, the combination with tube-holding means, of yarn holding means, a yarn-taking ,device, means for causing progressive relative movement between the yarn-taking device on the one hand and the tube-holding means and yarnholding means on the other hand, means for reciprocating the thread-taking device to project the same through successive tubes, means for shifting the body of yarn strands near the end of the forward movement of the yarn-taking device to positively engage the foremost strand thereof, and means for shifting the said body of yarn strands reversely when the yarn-taking device is retracted.

7. In a machine for threading tuft yarns for carpet manufacture, the combination with tube holding means of means for holding the body of yarns in separated condition and in predetermined relation to the corresponding tubes; thread placing means for acting successively upon the yarn strands to place them through tubes of the tube frame; and means for causing a relative shifting movement between said yarn holding means and said thread placing means at each successive action of the latter to secure positive engagement of the yarn strands by the thread placing means. I

8. In a machine for threading tuft yarns for carpet manufacture, the combination with a movable carriage of tube holding means thereon; means also on said carriage for holding the yarn strands in separated condition and in predetermined relation to the tubes; thread placing means; means for moving said carriage step-by-step to aline successive tubes with said thread placing means; means ;for projecting the thread placing means through the tubes to place yarns therethrough; and means for shifting the yarn holding means on said carriage for each successive action of said thread placing means.

9. In a machine for threading tuft yarns for carpet manufacture, the combination with a movable carriage of tube holding means thereon; means also on said carriage for holding the yarn strands in separated condition and in predetermined relation to the tubes; thread placing means; means for moving said carriage step-by-step to aline successive tubes with said thread placing means; means for projecting the thread placing means through the tubes to place yarns therethrough; and means for causing relative movement between the thread placing means and yarn strands to cause positive engagement of the latter by the former 011 each thread placing movement thereof 10. In a machine for threading tuft yarns for carpet manufacture, the combination with tube-holding means, of a removable transfer device in which the yarns are held separated and whereby they may be transferred in separated condition With the transfer device from the set frame and applied with the transfer device to the machine, means for acting upon the yarn strands in succession and take them directly from the transfer device to place them through the tubes of the tube frame, and means for shifting a predetermined strand to insure a positive engagement thereof by the thread-placing device.

11. The method of tubing tuft yarns which consists in holding yarns in predeterminately separated condition and in predetermined relation to. the tubes of a tube frame, passing a tubing implement between the strand orstrands to be tubed and the adjacent separated strands, causing relative movement between the tubing implement and the yarns to position the strand or strands to be tubed, toward the tubing implement and the remaining strand or strands away from the tubing implement, placing the selected strand or strands in the tube and repeating the operation with successive tubes and successive strands.

12. The method of tubing tuft yarns which consists in holding the yarns in predeterminately separated condition and in predeterniined relation to the tubes of the tube frame, presenting a tubing implement to the yarns between the foremost strand or strands to be tubed and the remaining separated strands, shifting the yarn strands laterally with relation to the tubing implement to cause positive engagement by the latter of the selected strand or strands and withdraw the remaining strands still farther away from the tubing implement,placingthc selected strand or strands through the appropriate tube, and repeating the operation with successive tubes and successive strands.

13. The method of drawing in which consists in holding a series of threads in parallel relation, inserting a thread placing device between the foremost thread or threads to be drawn and the remaining threads, causing relative movement between the said device and the body of threads positively to engage the thread placing device with the selected thread or threads and to separate the remaining threads still farther from the said device, drawing the selected thread or threads and repeating the operation with successive thread or threads.

14. The method of drawing in which consists in holding a series of threads in parallel, separated relation, inserting a threadplacing device between the foremost thread or threads to be drawn and the remaining threads without further separation of the threads other than the initial separation, causing relative movement between the said device and the body of separated threads positively to engage the thread-placing device with the selected thread or threads and to separate the remaining separated threads still farther from the thread-placing device, drawing the selected thread or threads and repeating the operation with a successive thread or threads.

15. In a machine for threading tuft yarns for carpet manufacture, the combination with tube holding means of means for holding the yarn strands in separated condition and in predetermined relation to the c0rresponding tubes, a thread-placing device,

means for causing relative traverse between the said device and the said tubes to bring said device in alinement with successive tubes, means for imparting a thread-taking movement to said device to place the same between the foremost strand or strands to be tubed and the remaining body of strands,

and means for causing relative movement between the thread-placing device and the body of yarns to place the selected strand or strands in positive engagement with the thread-placing device and separate the remaining strands still farther therefrom.

16. In a machine for tubing tuft yarns for carpet manufacture, the combination with tube-holding means, holding means for holding the yarns separated and in predetermined relation to the tubes, a threadplacing device, means for causing relative traverse between the thread-placing device and the yarns to permit the former to act successively upon the latter, means to cause relative movement between the thread-placing device and the yarns to position the device between the yarn or yarns to be tubed and theremainingbody of yarns,and means to shift the yarn holding means to cause positive engagement. between the selected strand or strands and the thread-placing de I vice to permit the latter to tube the yarns.

the yarns separated and in predetermined relation to the tubes, a thread-placing device, means for causing relative traverse between the thread-placing device and the yarns to permit the former to act successively upon the latter, and means to position the device between the yarn or yarns to be tubed and the remaining body of yarns while the yarn holding means continues to hold them in their initial separated state and to cause relative movement between the thread-placing device and the body of yarns to place the selected yarn or yarns in positive engagement with the thread-placing device and separate the remaining yarns still farther therefrom.

18. A drawing-in machine having a drawing-in implement, means for holding a body of threads in parallel, separated arrangement, means for causing relative traverse between the drawing-in device and the threads to place the thread or threads to be drawn in positive engagement with the drawing-in device and to separate the remaining threads still farther therefrom.

In testimony whereof, We have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDGAR F. HATHAWAY. CHARLES LEA. Witnesses:

THOMAS B. BOOTH, ROBERT H. KAMMLER. 

